


Omashu Services

by Miyuki_scourgeofthefirenation



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon Disabled Character, Disability, Friendship, Gen, Humor, M/M, POV Toph Beifong, Service Dogs, Sokka - Freeform, fic request, rated for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27454159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miyuki_scourgeofthefirenation/pseuds/Miyuki_scourgeofthefirenation
Summary: Toph has been looking forward to getting her service dog for months now, and today is the day. Toph, Katara, and Zuko take a trip to Omashu Services to find the perfect pupper.
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Toph Beifong & Katara, Toph Beifong & Zuko, background Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 118





	Omashu Services

**Author's Note:**

> This fic came from a request from wonderful reader Saki. The requested prompt was Toph getting a service dog, and either Toph & Zuko sibling vibes or Toph & Katara sibling vibes. I decided why not yes to all of that? So they are both accompanying her in this fic. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Before we begin I should note that I am largely unfamiliar with the process and rules regarding getting a service animal. I have done research to make sure I am getting the basics of it, but I would nonetheless like to acknowledge that I am not an expert and could well have made mistakes. If anyone more familiar with the process than me happens to read this and notices any major errors on my part, please leave a respectful comment letting me know the issue and I will fix it. Thank you!

The sound of dogs and humans interacting was instant as Toph walked into the center. Today was the day. She was finally going to be getting a service dog. She had been looking forward to this for months, ever since she had begun seriously thinking about the possibility more. Toph was a very capable woman, and could get around with the cane she had been using for years.

However, she had recently been thinking about how it would be nice to have a companion. And if that companion could also be helpful, well all the better. Her friends had thought it was a fantastic idea. Toph knew they viewed her as a strong independent woman who could handle herself, but she also knew that they still somewhat worried about her living alone regardless. Their occasional random “just stopping by” visits proved that.

Toph loved them for caring so much about her, but also kind of wanted them to chill a bit. She liked her independence. That was why the service dog was such a good idea. She could have the companionship she wanted without sacrificing her independence, and also get her friends to relax more.

Which led to here and now, Toph standing in the entryway of the service dog center. She had done a lot of research to find a good center, and had been pleased when she found this one, Omashu Services. She had called and had several very positive conversations with various employees, answering her questions and getting her set up with a time to come and find out if any of their dogs currently up for adoption were a good fit for her.

“Hello,” a voice called from Toph’s left. “How may I help you today?”

Toph turned towards the voice. “My name is Toph Beifong, I’m here for an appointment with Enlai. And these are my friends Katara and Zuko.” They had wanted to come along, and Toph had figured what the hell.

“Wonderful,” the voice, which must belong to a receptionist, chirped. “I’m Chuhua. I’ll let Enlai know you’re here. Do you have your paperwork?”

“Yep,” Toph patted the messenger bag slung over her shoulders with one hand while keeping the other gripped around her cane.

“If I could get that from you now...” Chuhua trailed off, the sound of her typing on her keyboard reaching Toph.

“Zuko, could you?” Toph turned slightly, inclining her body and messenger bag towards where she knew Zuko was standing behind her. Her messenger bag clasp could be fiddly. She really needed to get a new one.

“Hmm,” Zuko murmured and then snapped back to himself, seeming to realize what Toph wanted. “Oh, yeah, here.” She felt him draw closer, and open the messenger bag to pull out the packet of papers. Toph took the papers from him, and slid them back across the counter to Chuhua.

“Thank you! Please feel free to either have a seat or walk around the space. We have several of the adoptable dogs out right now with their trainers if you wanted to talk to them,” Chuhua said.

“Thanks,” Toph offered her a smile before turning away from the desk to address Katara and Zuko. “Okay bitches, let’s do this thing.” Zuko let out a muffled groan.

“We came here to help you Toph, remember? There’s no need to call us bitches,” Katara huffed. Toph grinned.

“But that wouldn’t be as fun,” Toph moved off towards what she figured was the center of the room. “Hup hup bitches!”

* * *

“Explain what’s happening in this room bitches.”

“Are you really gonna insist on keeping this up?” Katara sighed from where she stood next to Toph.

Toph moved her head to shoot Katara what she hoped was a disbelieving expression. “It’s like you’ve never met me at all.”

Zuko gave a sudden laugh from the other side of Toph, which was enough to make Katara round on him. “And you’re just okay with this?”

“I’ve been called worse,” Zuko said lightly.

Katara didn’t say anything to that immediately. Toph got the idea that they were doing that silent staring communication thing her friends sometimes did. 

“I am uncomfortable when we are not about me?” Toph cut in. She really did want to know what was happening in this space, they were here to get her a service animal after all.

“Right, right,” Katara said, somewhat guiltily. “Well, the reception area is right by the front door, and there are a few chairs over under a window up there. The rest of the space is a large room, with low walls dividing it into smaller rooms, but you can see into them through plexiglass dividers. They all have doors so you can go in. I think there’s an office space down a hallway off of the reception area.”

“And the small rooms have dogs and trainers in them,” Zuko offered.

“Yeah, so you can observe the dogs and trainers from here,” Katara said.

Toph nodded sagely. “Thank you for that update.” She paused before continuing, “Bitches.” Grinning she swept her cane out in front of her, heading towards the cubicle-like rooms.

Behind her she heard Zuko mutter “It’s not worth it,” to Katara. 

“It’s really not!” she called back to them. They always seemed to forget that she could hear better than the rest of them combined. Her cane met with one of the walls she assumed Katara had been talking about. Her friends came to stand on either side of her right after. 

The three stood in silence for a moment, with Toph waiting to see if they would ever figure out that they needed to tell her what they were looking at. Finally, heaving an inward sigh she broke the silence. “How does this one look?”

“Um, it’s brown,” was Zuko’s intelligent offer to her question.

“Thanks. That means nothing to me.”

“Oh, right sorry,” Zuko said.

“It is brown,” Katara began speaking, “but to add on to what Zuko was saying, there’s a sheet pasted to the window saying that the dog is a Collie named Da. The trainer inside is working with Da on reaching things in high places from the looks of it. Oh, and here,” she reached over and took Toph’s hand, moving it forward. “There’s braille writing describing all of that as well.”

Sure enough there was. Toph smiled, running her fingers along the small raised bumps that gave facts and figures about Da.

* * *

The three of them continued to move around the space, stopping at the different rooms to read the description and observe the dogs. One of the rooms was different. It was close to the back of the building, and was larger. Reading the Braille description, Toph noted that this space was where dogs that weren’t quite ready for adoption, but would be soon, were available for observation. 

“How many dogs are in here?” Toph asked.

Katara started quietly counting. “There’s five,” she said after a moment. “There’s a trainer working with one, two others appear to be sleeping, and- oh- the final two are in a corner licking each other’s faces.”

“Ah, so those are the Sokka and Zuko dogs,” Toph said sagely. It was only as she moved off to stand in front of one of the other individual dog rooms that she realized what she had just let slip. Both Zuko and Katara had apparently gone into momentary shock, if their silence was anything to go by.

“What?” Katara hissed angrily. They both quickly followed after Toph, away from the larger room with the multiple dogs.

“Uh,” Toph stammered.

“Uh,” Zuko gulped.

“Zuko,” Katara began again, her voice dangerously low, “Have you been swapping spit with my brother?”

Toph felt Zuko’s glare on her back. She whistled in an innocent way, casually running her fingers over the Braille description of the dog who’s room they were currently standing in front of. Apparently her name was Lily.

“Thanks for that Toph,” he muttered angrily.

“Oh come on!” Toph exclaimed, whirling around to face her now fighting friends. “She was gonna find out eventually!”

“Damn right!” Katara fumed. Toph heard her suck in a slight intake of breath as if realizing something. “Zuko. Listen to me very carefully. You are not allowed to sleep with my brother! Understand?”

“Uhhhh,” Zuko spluttered.

Toph couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. “I think it’s a little late for that Sugar Queen.”

“Toph!” Zuko yelped. “How do you even-“ he trailed off.

“I don’t, I just took a lucky guess,” Toph snickered, a grin spreading across her face.

Toph went back to reading the description as Zuko and Katara melodramatically hissed angrily at each other behind her. They were obviously trying to not make a scene. They were obviously failing at that too. Right at that moment, Toph sensed someone coming to stand near them.

“Hello, I’m Enlai, I’ll be helping you with finding the perfect service animal today!”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Toph,” Toph said, inclining her head in a short bow. Based on the rustle of fabric he had likely done the same. “The two people fighting back there behind me are Zuko and Katara.”

“Lovers quarrel?” The man asked with a chuckle.

“We’re not together!” Zuko yelled at him.

“Yeah,” Katara cut in, “apparently he’s sleeping with my brother! My brother!”

The man seemed panicked, if his stuttering and fumbling of papers was anything to go by. Toph gave him a sweet smile, she still needed to get a service dog after all. Her stupid friends and their stupid drama would not get in the way of that.

“Don’t mind my friends, they’re just learning some things about each other today. Can’t take them anywhere in public!” Toph gave a laugh, hoping to put Enlai back at ease.

“Heh,” Enlai attempted a laugh before quickly changing the subject. “Well, Toph, it looks like all your paperwork is in order, so we can start working on finding the perfect service dog for you today. First we’ll go back into the office to discuss what you would want personality wise and any breed preferences you might have, and to go through what dogs are currently available for adoption and if any other dogs will be ready for adoption soon. Then we can come back out here for some more observations of the dogs out right now, and go in and visit with some to see how you get along. Does that sound good?”

“That sounds great, thank you,” Toph beamed at him.

“Then please, come with me,” Enlai began moving away. As she went to follow, Toph quickly turned back to her still silently fuming friends and snapped her cane down between them in warning.

“Don’t be fooled by my blindness,” she hissed, “I’ve still got my eye on you.” Then she swept around to go into the back office.

* * *

Thankfully Katara and Zuko managed to behave themselves for the rest of their visit to Omashu Services. Toph could tell they would probably lose it on each other later, but at least it wasn’t happening in public anymore. Enlai had been very helpful, spending over an hour talking with her and walking around the space to find the perfect service dog. Ultimately, it had all clicked when he had taken her into the room with Badger in it. Badger was almost two years old, and had been trained by the center for a year and a half specifically as a service dog for those with sight impairments. He was a black Labrador, and was absolutely adorable according to Zuko and Katara. 

Toph prided herself on her ability to sense things in a way others couldn’t. And from the moment she had gotten close to Badger, petted Badger, she knew that they were meant for each other. She happily certified the paperwork to leave Omashu Services with Badger. She had already taken care of buying supplies for her upcoming dog acquisition, so she had a dog bed, food bowl, food, toys, and more waiting at home. Waiting for  _ Badger  _ at home.

Toph, Katara, and Zuko walked back to the car with Badger after leaving Omashu Services, with many thanks given to Enlai for all his help. Toph climbed into the back seat with Badger, leaving Zuko to anxiously take the front passenger seat next to Katara. They drove off in the direction of Toph’s apartment, music playing from the radio softly. Toph sighed happily, and nestled her face against Badger’s side.

“I can’t wait for the rest of the group to meet you buddy,” Toph said quietly into Badger’s fur. “Welcome to the gang.”

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the casual Zukka if that’s not really your thing, but I had this idea about some poor soul being utterly confused by what the fuck was happening between Zuko and Katara and then throwing mention of the brother into the mix. It was too funny for me not to include.
> 
> If you liked this please let me know! It inspires me to keep writing when I get in a slump. :)  
> ~Follow me on Tumblr if you wanna! @miyuki-scourgeofthefirenation  
> I take fic requests, though I make no promises about timeliness in fulfilling them. Hit me up on Tumblr and we can talk about it. No NSFW. Don’t ask, it’s not gonna happen.  
> I upload for ATLA on Sundays!


End file.
